Hey everybody!
Today I want to teach you a simple cooking method for beans that takes much less time than the traditional “Soak them overnight” method. Honestly, I wouldn’t have even thought to share this except that a friend once asked me “Is there some way to cook beans that doesn’t take so long??”
Since she didn’t know, I’m assuming some others might not know. So, if this is a help for you, today I’d like to inform you that YES, there is a way to cook beans faster!
Today I’m using black beans, but this recipe works for every kind of dry bean that you would normally have to soak for hours before you can cook them. Beans are such an inexpensive, delicious form of protein; and knowing how to prepare them quickly is a huge help!
In this tutorial, I am using plenty of salt and garlic, which is my favourite way to give them great flavour; however, this method also works with just water, so if you prefer you can go ahead and do it that way.
Step 1: How Much to Make
Beans pretty much double in volume when you cook them. In other words, if you’re cooking 1 cup of dry beans, you’ll end up with approximately 2 cups cooked beans when they are done. So, depending on your recipe, that’s how to calculate how much to cook!
Step 2: Ratios and the First Boil
I’ll be honest, I almost never measure beans, water, salt, and garlic. So you don’t have to. But this is approximately how much I would say you should do per 1 cup of dry beans. If you want to cook more than this, just increase this “recipe” accordingly.
- 1 cup dry beans
- 3-4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic, halved
Combine all of the above into a pot; bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Allow to rest, covered, for 1 hour.
Step 3: Cook the Beans
Return the beans to the heat, and cook until soft. If the water seems to be evaporating, add a little more – the beans should always be well covered with water.
Step 4: Storage
Whether you are canning them, freezing them, or setting them aside for use later that day, always store the beans in enough of the cooking liquid to cover them. This will prevent them from drying out. You can discard the liquid when you’re ready to use them, but don’t get rid of it before then!
Tip: When serving beans over rice, ladling a little of the cooking liquid over top is super good! When you cook the beans this way, the liquid will be full of flavour and add a little moisture to an otherwise potentially dry bowl of rice. For extra greatness, top the whole thing with Guatemalan Chile!
Shortly after taking these pictures, I made burritos for dinner with Homemade Tortillas, beans, rice, cheese, sour cream, Guatemalan Chile, grilled peppers and lettuce. This photo doesn’t do it justice… But if you needed a meal idea for this evening, there you go. This one is delicious!
That’s it for today!
Thanks for stopping in,
Naomi
